11. Then King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah: ‘Why are you last to bring back the king to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king in his house.
12. My brothers, you are my bones and you are my flesh. Why should you be the last to bring back the king?’
13. To Amasa you shall say: ‘Are you not my bones and my flesh? May God punish me if you are not the commander of my army before me forever, in place of Joab.’ ”
14. So he turned the heart of all the men of Judah as one man, and they sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your servants.”
15. Then the king returned and he came to the Jordan; Judah had come to Gilgal to come to meet the king, to bring the king over the Jordan.
16. Then Shimei the son of Gera, the son of the Benjaminite, who was from Bahurim quickly came down with the men of Judah to meet King David,
17. and a thousand men were with him from Benjamin. Too, Ziba the servant of the household of Saul and fifteen of his sons and twenty of his servants were with him, and they rushed to the Jordan before the king.
18. The crossing took place to bring the household of the king over and to do good in his eyes. Then Shimei the son of Gera fell before the king when he crossed over the Jordan,
19. and he said to the king, “May not my lord hold me guilty, and may you not remember how your servant did wrong on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, by taking it to heart!
20. For your servant knows that I have sinned; look, I have come this day as the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king.”
21. Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah responded and said, “Because of this, should not Shimei be put to death, for he cursed the anointed one of Yahweh?”
22. Then David said, “What is it to me or to you, sons of Zeruiah, that you should be an adversary today? Should anyone be put to death in Israel? Do I not know today that I am king over Israel?”
23. Then the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die,” and so the king swore to him.
24. Now, Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; he had not taken care of his feet nor trimmed his moustache nor washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he came back in peace.
25. It happened that when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you not come with me, Mephibosheth?”
26. Then he said, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me, for your servant had said, ‘Let me saddle the donkey that I may ride on her and go with the king,’ for your servant is lame.
27. But he slandered against your servant to my lord the king. My lord the king is like the angel of God; do as you see fit..”